The Doors of Perception
by Fifth Levelers
Summary: There are things known and there are things unknown, and in between are the doors of perception. -Aldous Huxley
1. Chapter 1

**The Doors of Perception**

There are things known and there are things unknown, and in between are the doors of perception.

Aldous Huxley

ͽAJͼ

Anyone could have thought that walking under a rainbow's light, at 6:45 a.m. no less, would have been warranty enough of a good day ahead. What people forgot was that for rainbows to exist, rain was a must.

Bella squinted at the multicolored arc, resenting its deception of cheerful possibilities as she felt the pressure of gray, pregnant clouds in her future. For she knew they would come and unleash their cold water on her life.

She basked in her self-centered inner drama while she headed to school.

A new school.

Where she didn't know anybody.

It wasn't even the first day of school.

She was tempted to stomp her feet like a toddler at the injustice.

Only her parents, who clearly hated her, could have done such a thing to her.

It wasn't that she didn't appreciate that her father's new job came with more money. Her new assortment of acquisitions was almost enough to make up for everything else; and her mom was finally getting the house of her dreams—which God knew the woman deserved to have.

But why did she have to change schools in the middle of her senior year?

In her nightstand drawer, in her new bedroom, there was a black and silver box filled with carefully arranged letters and cards and other goodbye-we'll-miss-your-awesomeness memorabilia that she had taken out to cry over for the past week.

Bella was recalling a particularly scorching card that Brandon Meyers had given her the night before she left what had been her home for her entire life, when a red sleek Audi sped by her, drenching the blouse of the ridiculous new school uniform in icy, murky water.

When she had pondered about clouds unleashing cold water in her life, she had not anticipated Fate being quite so expedite and literal.

Standing motionless for a few moments, and battling the tears that promised smeared mascara and further humiliation, she summoned and made use of whatever frail self-assurance she still had left and when she had successfully submitted enough of her misery, Bella continue forward.

The new school loomed ahead of her, crowned in steel-like clouds, as she advanced up the curling street, leaving the fading rainbow behind.

A/N

This first part of the story will update quickly, the second part will post as it's written.


	2. Chapter 2

ͽAJͼ

Edward was on a very good mood that morning.

He had finally convinced his parents to let him take the car to school. It was his, after all. It had been a birthday present from his wealthy, estranged grandfather, who as of late had been trying his best to lure him to his side with extravagant presents, such as Audis and expensive college tuitions.

But Carlisle and Esme Cullen, his pretentiously named parents, thought it was rather ostentatious to have a car like that in high school, even if Saint Marvin School was plagued by upper-class-wanna-be middle-class residents, and was a bit pompous in its ways.

"Promise not to speed," Esme begged.

"I won't speed," Edward intoned in a slightly exasperated voice.

"Promise you won't pick up strangers," she continued to beseech him, undeterred.

"There are no strangers in Arlentown, mom," he reminded her.

"Regardless. Promise it." Esme tapped her nails on the table and waited for her son to comply.

Edward stood all soldier-like and vowed, "I solemnly swear that I will drive within the lawfully speed limits and that I will not pick up any helpless souls that might need my assistance."

He had been staring at a smear of peanut butter on the wall, and when he finished his tirade, he peeked at Esme and saw she hadn't found his mockery amusing.

"Mom, relax. I do promise to be sensible about owning and driving a car. But if you don't let me go now, I will be late to school, and I'm not sure if I'm more scared of death by car crash than of Mr. Anuar."

His mother relented and waved her goodbyes to her son until she could no longer see his car.

A couple of blocks from school, Edward had been feeling happy about his splendid driving skills when his self-congratulatory mood was interrupted by a flash of blinding orange on the side of the road that his rear-view mirror revealed to be a girl. Noticing that she was wearing the school's uniform, he had been tempted to stop, but Esme's pleas came to the front of his mind.

There was no one in St. Martin with that hair color, so that girl was certainly a stranger. An utterly beautiful and vulnerable looking stranger, but a stranger nonetheless.


	3. Chapter 3

ͽ**KV**ͼ

Edward walked to the cafeteria still thinking about that girl.

Catching up to Jasper, his best friend, Edward put his hand on his shoulder. Startled, Jasper turned around and noticed that Edward looked jumpy.

"What's with that face? Did you see a horrifying ghost?" Jasper asked worried.

"No, it was rather a beautiful thing!" Edward said, still a bit dazed.

That was when Bella reluctantly walked through the door of the cafeteria, heading to the furthest table where she tossed her backpack on the table and sat on the chair, muttering to herself, "Next time, I will use my bike."

From across the cafeteria, Edward and Jasper were looking at her when Rosalie, Jasper's younger sister, interrupted their staring spell.

"Edward, you have a bit of drool coming out of your mouth," Rosalie said, laughing.

"What? No, I don't! I´m not remotely interested," he answered a bit defensively. He didn't drool over any girl.

"Good, because I am," Jasper said, preparing to go talk to the girl.

Edward regretted his words immediately.

Jasper, having nothing more to say, got up from the table and began to walk towards Bella.

"I think you shouldn't go," Edward told him.

"Why not?" Jasper replied quickly.

"Because she´s the new girl and she will think you are desperate, Jasper!"

"Or that I'm godsend because I'm the first to speak to her here."

"Or that you are desperate," Edward insisted.

"Crap!" Jasper sighed and plonk back in his seat.


	4. Chapter 4

ͽ**IL**ͼ

Three months later Bella was still the new girl.

Walking towards the cafeteria with Rosalie, who was pestering her with illicit homework-lending requests, she saw Edward get in and contemplated skipping lunch and would have actually gone without food if she had had breakfast.

_He is such a bad person, always making those bad jokes for everyone who cares to listen, well, except me of course, _she thought.

Rosalie rolled her eyes when she saw her staring at him.

"Um… so will you lend me your Math homework?" Rosalie asked for the nth time.

Bella sighed. "Ok, Rose, but you should really consider doing an assignment or two, you know? To learn? It's a novel concept, I know, but still," she said smiling.

"Don't you worry about my education, Bella. I'll be a Chef, Math is never going to be involved."

Bella wanted to point out that measurements were a great deal in recipes, but refrained.

"What did Mr. Anuar want, by the way?" Rose asked, referring to that morning, when the Principal had called Bella to his office for a quick talk, which lasted about an hour.

"Oh, he's just worried that I'm not 'adapting to my new life'," Bella explained, making air quotes. "Why can't a girl be shy in peace here?" she complained.


	5. Chapter 5

**ͽ****SP****ͼ**

Bella felt the sun through her window. She was slowly opening her eyes while she tried to get her sheets off, but it was quite difficult, she was so tired.

She grabbed a towel and relaxed with the lukewarm water droops from the shower. Several minutes later she got dressed and was ready for school.

"Mom! I gotta go already, bye!" Bella said.

"Have a nice day," Renée said, distracted as usual.

While she was on her road to school Bella had the feeling that today something good might happen.

Who knows why? Just… someone on her mind disrupting her thoughts...

_This pathetic guy... what was his name? Edwin?_ She thought, blatantly self-deceptive.

Oh, yes! Edward, of course.

She hadn't talked with him. Well, she hadn't talked to almost anybody because she believed that everybody thought she was weird. Not that she cared.

She saw a lot of Edward because he was in the same classes than she was, but she couldn't stand him! He was quite self-centered and always telling bad jokes that he actually thought were funny, but really weren't.

He was just so aghh!.

Fifteen minutes later she was in school, and being greeted by Alice.

"Hi, Bella!" she said happily.

Alice was the only girl she had talked with, besides Rosalie, since she came to Arlentown.

Alice was very shy and quiet, with beautiful long purple hair, grey eyes, and was a little on the short side. She liked Jasper, but he didn't have any idea. He was as foolish as Edward. Everyone in the school seemed to be like that.

"Hi, Alice!" Bella said, taking out some books from her locker. "Why do you seem to be so happy?" she asked, giving her a weird look.

"I heard a new guy is coming today!" Alice confided with a big and white smile.

Bella rolled her eyes. "Come on, Alice! I thought you liked Jasper," she said boldly.

Alice put her hands on Bella's mouth, worried. "Shhh! I told you not to say a word about that, Bella!" Alice whispered while looking around in panic.

Bella laughed a little bit, taking Alice's hands away from her mouth. "Take it easy! No one heard what I said, so shut up and walk! We're gonna be late for Biology." She took Alice by the arm and together headed to the classroom.

"Aren't you excited about the new guy who's coming?" Alice whispered with sad face.

"Should I be?" she asked, mad. "He's probably gonna be as stupid as the other stupid guys, all perfect short and straight black hair, big sparkling smile and amazingly colored eyes..." Bella stopped her rant.

"Erm, Bella, you're describing Edward," Alice said, stunned.

Bella opened her eyes, surprised. "What?" She laughed nervously. "Of course not! You're crazy, Alice!" she said quickly.

"C'mon! Of course you were, Bella! You just described him accurately!

Was it true? Was Bella unconsciously talking about Edward and she didn't figure out about it? But...why?

Maybe Bella liked Edward and she didn't know or maybe not. Maybe it was a coincidence.

"Aghh," she growled. "Forget it!"

Alice just rolled her eyes and laughed softly.

Bella tried to pay attention to the whiteboard but she couldn't because of Edward's laughter, playing the clown, sounded in the whole classroom. She was kind of mad, but she didn't dare say a word because, contradictorily, she wanted to keep on listening to him.

"Are you coming to the garden Bella?" Alice asked, two hours later during break. Her eyes were looking around, as if searching for something.

"Ehhm," Bella muttered, unsure. "I don't think so. You can go if you want. Rosalie might be waiting for you."

"OK , I don't know why you always like to be alone," Alice said, shaking her head and walking towards the garden. Bella was left unable to give her an answer.

"Neither do I," whispered Bella to herself, her eyes downcast.


End file.
